Speakers

Full Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the University “Federico II” of Naples. Currently, he serves as Director of the Complex Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the “Federico II” University Hospital in Naples. His career includes positions of national and international prestige, such as the UNESCO Chair for Health Education and Sustainable Development. Her scientific activity is prolifically documented with more than 1,000 published articles and more than 100 book chapters. Her bibliometric parameters place her among the top 100 Italian female scientists. She has coordinated research projects and holds editorial positions in renowned scientific journals. In the field of endocrinology, she has received numerous prizes and awards, consolidating her commitment to medical research. Her dedication also extends to the social sphere, being the founder of several prevention initiatives.

She is at the top of the list of Top Italian Scientists and is Italian Top Woman Scientist. Responsible for Italy of the European ENDO-ERN (European Reference Network) for the study of rare endocrine disorders in adults of which she is coordinator of the regional center at the Azienda Universitaria Federico II where she is also responsible for the European ENETS center of excellence (for the study of neuroendocrine tumors), the CIBO center of excellence for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity (accredited with SIO and EASO). She was president of the National Council of Guarantors of Scientific Research at the Ministry for Universities and Research.

President of the European Society of Neuroendocrinology for the biennium 2016-2018 and President of the Italian Endocrinology Society for the biennium 2021-2023 (first woman in the history of the Society).

Founder and past president of Campus Salute Onlus (www.campussalute.it), a nonprofit association dedicated to health.

Founder and president of FORME Foundation - Foundation for Research in Medicine.

Dr. Amena Sadiya, a licensed nutritionist and an International Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional. Currently, she serves as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah and a Tutor at the University of South Wales, UK. In addition to clinical practice at Genesis Healthcare Centre, Dubai, UAE.

Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and MSc in Food and Nutrition from India, along with clinical research training (GCSRT) from Harvard Medical School, USA.

Throughout her career, she has designed and led evidence-based lifestyle intervention programs across the UAE and has been actively involved in both clinical practice and academic research. She has published several research papers and serves as a peer reviewer for three international medical journals. Dr.Sadiya, also had the privilege of speaking at various medical conferences, sharing insights on integrating nutrition and lifestyle into chronic disease management.

In addition to this, she is the author of a book entitled 'Lifestyle Prescription for Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes', reflecting her commitment to practical, patient-centered solutions.

Dr. Cheng is an Endocrinologist at Trillium Health Partners and Unity Health Toronto and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She was involved with the development of the Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines from 2003 to 2020 and was Chair for the 2013 version. She served as Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee for the 2023 and 2024 American Diabetes Association annual scientific meetings and sits on the planning committee for EASD 2025 and IDF 2025. In addition, she is an Associate Editor for the journal, Diabetes Care, and co-host of the podcast series “Diabetes Care On Air”. In recognition of her contribution to the diabetes community, she has received the 2025 Outstanding Physician Clinician in Diabetes Award from the American Diabetes Association. In addition, she has received the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada. She is also the creator of The Med Ed Pledge – an initiative to increase Diversity & Inclusion in continuing medical education (www.theMedEdPledge.com) along with CMEX – a searchable database of health care professionals interested in contributing to medical education.

Ali S. Alzahrani, M.D. is a consultant endocrinologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre and a Professor of Medicine at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was the recipient of the 2015 International Clinician Award from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Orlando, Florida and the Ibn Seina Distinction Award from The AACE Gulf Chapter in 2016. He was the Editor-in Chief of the Annals of Saudi Medicine. He is an Editorial Board member of THYROID, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), JCEM Case Reports and Endocrine. He is an academic editor of the PLOS. Professor Alzahrani has more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and he has presented more than 150 lectures nationally and internationally. He is a member of the American Thyroid Association Research Committee and the International Thyroid Oncology Group (ITOG). His academic interests are clinical and molecular research in the areas of endocrine oncology and endocrine genetics.

Ms. Diana El Jundi achieved her Bachelor degree of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the American University of Beirut (2003). This was further followed by a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics as well as RD Credentialing & Internship from McGill University (2007). She began perusing her career as a Registered Dietitian at Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto early 2008 in the areas of Intensive Care Unit and Cardiology for one year and the Bariatric Clinic for another four years. She then relocated to United Arab Emirates (2013) where she currently works as a Clinical Diabetes Specialist at Dubai Diabetes Center; her focus at the center mainly being educating patients, both Type I and II as well as Gestational on meal discipline, carbohydrate counting and promoting healthy lifestyle. In 2021, she achieved the BC-ADM (Board Certified-Advanced Diabetes Management) Credential for Advanced Practitioners from the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.

Francesco Chiarelli is Professor and Head of Paediatrics at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Chieti, Italy and Head of Research Labs at the Research Centre of Excellence, University of Chieti. He is a graduate from the University of Siena, Italy.

Professor Chiarelli’s research interests include the molecular and cellular biology of diabetic macroangiopathy; growth and insulin resistance in children; early detection of diabetic microangiopathy in children; obesity and type 2 diabetes in children.

Professor Chiarelli has written extensively and published in leading scientific journals (23,639 citations; h-index: 77). He has on the Editorial Board of Journal of Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Paediatric Diabetes, Hormone Research in Paediatrics, Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolism. He has also been an invited lecturer worldwide.

Professor Chiarelli holds membership in several professional organizations, including the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE), International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), Italian Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (ISPED) and the Italian Society for Paediatric Research (ISPR).

He served ESPE as Secretary General from 2004 to 2011 and as President in 2009 and 2013. He was President of the Italian Society for Paediatric Research (ISPR) (2012-2015).

He is currently a member of the European Commission and World Health Organization (WHO) Committee for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in Children (2016-2026).

Dr Fahd Quhill is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in Medical Retina and Ocular inflammatory disease at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.

Dr Fahd specialises in the assessment and management of uveitis and inflammatory eye diseases (uveitis, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases of the eye) as well as medical retinal disease, such as diabetes, macular degeneration, inherited retinal disease and retinal vascular disease.

He has broad experience in the diagnosis and management of complex inflammatory eye diseases, including the use of immunosuppression, as well as in treating retinal disease.

Dr. Fahd trained in Ophthalmology in the United Kingdom at Oxford, Birmingham and London, completing three Medical Retinal Fellowships in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.

He has undertaken research and served as principal investigator in numerous macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular oedema trials. He has published 27 research papers on retinal and ocular inflammatory disease in leading journal/s such as Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology and Eye, among others.

He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Dr Irina Bancos is Professor of Medicine and works in the Pituitary-Adrenal-Gonadal subdivision of Endocrinology division at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA. She also holds a joint appointment with the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Dr Bancos received her M.D. from the Iuliu Hatieganu Medical University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She has completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Danbury Hospital in CT, USA and Endocrinology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. In addition, Dr Bancos completed a two-year research fellowship (Mayo Foundation Scholarship) at the University of Birmingham, UK where she received training in steroid profiling and adrenal disorders. In 2015 she returned to Mayo Clinic, where her clinical and research interests include adrenal and pituitary disorders, and mechanisms of steroid regulation of health and disease. Dr. Bancos has published more than 240 scientific articles. She currently serves as Deputy Editor for the European Journal of Endocrinology. Dr. Bancos is passionate about translating research findings into actionable interventions for patients with adrenal disorders and mentoring the future generation of adrenal endocrinologists.

Dr. Bilezikian, the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pharmacology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University is Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine for International Education and Research and Chief, Emeritus, of the Division of Endocrinology. He is Director, Emeritus, of the Metabolic Bone Diseases Program at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Bilezikian received his undergraduate training at Harvard College and his medical training at the College of Physicians & Surgeons. He completed four years of house staff training (internship, residency and Chief Residency) on the Medical Service at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Bilezikian received his training in Metabolic Bone Diseases and in Endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health in the Mineral Metabolism Branch under the tutelage of Dr. Gerald Aurbach. He belongs to a number of professional societies including the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, of which he served as President (ASBMR), 1995-1996 and the International Society of Clinical Densitometry (ISCD), of which he served as President, 1999-2001. He is a member of the Endocrine Society, the American Federation for Clinical Research, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and the American College of Endocrinology that has designated him Master. He served on the Board of Governors of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (1999-2015) and is a current member of its Committee of Scientific Advisors. He is Chair of the Endocrine Fellows Foundation. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and as Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. He is Executive Advisory Editor of Bone Research. His books include Editor-in-Chief of The Parathyroids [1994, 2001, 2015], and co-editor of The Aging Skeleton (1999), Dynamics of Bone and Cartilage Metabolism (1999, 2006), Principles of Bone Biology (1996, 2002, 2008, 2020) and Osteoporosis in Men (2010). He is Editor-in-Chief of the Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism (2019). He has been on numerous panels, including serving as Chair of the NIH Consensus Development Panel on Optimal Calcium Intake (1994), Co-chair of the last three International Workshops on Primary Hyperparathyroidism (2002, 2008, 2013) and of the first International Workshops on Hypoparathyroidism (2015) and Controversies in Vitamin D (2017, 2018, 2019). Dr. Bilezikian's major research interests are related to the clinical investigation of metabolic bone diseases, particularly primary hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and osteoporosis, His studies of parathyroid hormone in these disorders with regard to etiology, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, mechanisms of skeletal involvement, and therapy are known throughout the world as landmark contributions to our knowledge of these disorders. He has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1974. Over 850 publications speak to these active original investigative initiatives as well as his authorship of many reference sources of endocrinology and metabolic bone diseases.

Dr. Bilezikian is the recipient of the Distinguished Physician Award of the Endocrine Society, the Frederic C. Bartter Award of the ASBMR for Excellence in Clinical Research, and the First Annual Global Leadership Award of the ISCD. In 2009, he received the Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award from the ASBMR. He received the Laureate Distinguished Educator Award of the Endocrine Society in 2014. In 2014, he was made honorary member of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Association of Brazilian Orthopedic Osteologists. In 2015, he received the Oscar Gluck Humanitarian Award of the ISCD and the Inaugural Global Educator of the Year Award from McMaster University in Canada. In 2017, he was named Honorary Member of the Russian Osteoporosis Association. Dr. Bilezikian has received Lifetime Achievement and Recognition Awards of the California and Boston Armenian American Medical Societies and the Armenian American Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO). In 2017, he received the Doctor Honoris Causa Award from the Carol Davila School of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania and from the University of Pisa, in Pisa, Italy. He received the Distinguished Physician Award of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists in 2018. He received the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor from the United States Government in 2018. Also, in 2018 he received a Parliamentary Medal of Honor from the Government of Armenia for distinguished service and a similar honor from the Government of Brazil. In 2019, he received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievements in Medical Research, the highest honor that Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons bestows on its graduates. In 2020, Dr. Bilezikian received the ASBMR William F. Neuman Award for highest scientific achievement.

Prof Ray is Immediate Past President of the European Atherosclerosis Society, Chair of the World Heart Federation Cholesterol Roadmap, Lead for CVD NIHR Academic research Collaboration, NIHR ARC National Lead for CVD, Director of ICTU-Global which is an academic ARO.

He received his medical education (MB ChB, 1991) at the University of Birmingham Medical School, his MD (2004) at the University of Sheffield, a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and finally an MPhil in epidemiology (2007) from the University of Cambridge. His research involves lipids, diabetes and population health serving as global lead for trials and registries. He has >178,000 citations and since 2018 has been recognised by Clarivate Analytics as among the top 0.1% of authors in global medicine. In 2023 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, which is UK’s highest honour for clinician scientists.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/staff/michaellean/

• Established the first Department of Human Nutrition in a Scottish Medical School, 1990- initially funded 10 years by Rank Prize Funds.
• ‘Broad-focus’ strategy: translational, integrative, research and teaching, across all scientific disciplines within Human Nutrition.
• Main focusses are on obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and health promotion.
• The only doctor in Scotland (and UK?) on the GMC Specialist Register for Human Nutrition, as well as for Diabetes and Endocrinology and General Internal Medicine
• Awards include Diabetes UK Rank Prize Lecture (2014) and Banting Memorial Lecture (2020-21); Tenovus Medal for Research (2017) Rank Prize for Nutrition Research 2024.
• Visiting professor at University of Otago, and University of Sydney.
• Elected Fellow of RSE (National Academy of Scotland) (2018).
• Honorary Fellow of Downing College, University of Cambridge (2024)
• Over 400 Original Research articles: G-Scholar H-Index =127
• Outside of work: plays and makes violins, cycles, climbs mountains

Prof Lean established the Glasgow Department of Human Nutrition 1990 with a ‘broad-focus’ strategy for integrative translational research and teaching. The only doctor on the GMC Specialist Register for Human Nutrition, as well as Diabetes and Endocrinology and General/Internal Medicine. His main focusses are obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and health promotion. Diabetes UK Rank Prize Lecture (2014) and Banting Memorial Lecture (2020-21), Tenovus Medal for Research (2017), FRSE (2018), Rank Prize for Nutrition Research (2024), Hon Fellow Downing College, University of Cambridge (2024). Visiting professorships at Otago University and University of Sydney. Over 400 Original articles with G-Scholar H-Index =127. Outside work, plays and makes violins, cycles, and climbs mountains.

Dr. Nagat F ElHag is a senior clinical psychologist at Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health. She holds a doctorate and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University, USA as well as a post-doctoral fellowship in healthy psychology. Dr. Nagat is licensed in the UAE and in the USA.

In the past, Dr. Nagat has served in several clinical and educational capacities providing psychological and behavioral interventions to diverse patient groups. Currently, Dr. Nagat works with a predominantly medical population. Areas of interest to Dr. Nagat include adjustment to acute, chronic and terminal illness, end of life issues, bereavement and grief, adherence/compliance to medical and lifestyle regimens, communication in medical settings, provision of psychosocial care to patients and their families, and advising/training multidisciplinary teams on the psychological aspects of health, illness, and illness management.

Peter Rossing is a clinician researcher devoted to complications in diabetes with focus on renal and cardiovascular complications. He obtained a specialist degree in internal medicine and endocrinology 2004. Since 2007 he has been a chief physician and manager of the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen research team dedicated to the research of micro-and macrovascular complications of diabetes.

Since 2012 Professor in diabetic angiopathy at University of Copenhagen. Peter Rossing has in epidemiological studies investigated key features of the pathophysiology of the diabetic kidney at different stages. He has identified several markers for development of diabetic nephropathy; making it possible to predict the individual risk. He has been involved in several intervention studies in patients with overt diabetic nephropathy aiming at improving the prognosis including DAPA-CKD, FIGARO-DKD, FIDELIO-DKD and FLOW.

He received the Minkowski prize in 2005 and the Golgi prize in 2016 both from the EASD and the E. Bierman award from ADA and the Hormon Medal from European Society of Endocrinology. Past president of the Danish Endocrine Society, and of the European Diabetic Nephropathy Study group and chairman of the Danish National Diabetes Registry and the Independent Research Fund Denmark-Health and Disease.

Professor Pratik Choudhary is Professor and Honorary consultant in Diabetes with a special interest in type 1 diabetes and technology. He has active clinical and research programs around education, psychology and technology in type 1 diabetes. In particular, his research uses neuroimaging to explore the mechanisms of hypoglycaemia unawareness, and the use of different strategies such as technology and behavioral interventions to restore awareness. He has been involved in a number of national and international research studies, as well as a number of national and international training and education programs for diabetes.

He is ex-chair of the Diabetes Technology Network – UK, Chair of the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes Mellitus, associate editor for Diabetic Medicine, Midlands Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Lead and member of the EASD Post Graduate education committee.

Richard Holt trained at the University of Cambridge and the London Hospital Medical College. He is Professor in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Southampton and an Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Holt’s current research interests are broadly focussed around clinical diabetes but specifically encompass studies of the relationship between mental health and diabetes. His clinical responsibilities include the diabetes and pregnancy clinic, young adult diabetes clinic and the cystic fibrosis related diabetes service.

Professor Holt was the Editor-in-Chief of Diabetic Medicine (2016-2020) and is a past-Chair of the Council of Health Care Professionals of Diabetes UK. Professor Holt was a member of the 2008 NICE diabetes and pregnancy guideline development group and the NICE Type 2 diabetes: preventing the progression from pre-diabetes programme development group. Professor Holt is the Editor-in-Chief of the 6th edition of the Textbook of Diabetes. Professor Holt is the Chair of the EASD Committee for Clinical Affairs and is the EASD co-chair of the EASD-ADA consensus report of the management of type 1 diabetes in adults and EASD Diabetes Distress Guideline Development Panel.

Dr. Basaria is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Director of the Section of Men's Health, Aging and Metabolism at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. His expertise is in the field of Male Reproduction. His research focuses on understanding cardiometabolic complications of androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer and efficacy of testosterone replacement in men with opioid-induced androgen deficiency and cancer-related fatigue. He also provides clinical care to patients with reproductive disorders.

Sarah Mayson, MD is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, USA. She received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed internal medicine residency and fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. She the Director of the Fellowship Program in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and leads the thyroid nodule clinical program at the University of Colorado Hospital. She is also a current member of the American Thyroid Association adult thyroid nodule guidelines taskforce.

Dr. Melmed is Executive Vice-President , Dean and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Master of the American College of Physicians; elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Investigation; recipient of achievement and leadership awards from the Royal Society of Medicine, the Endocrine Society ,British Endocrine Society European Society of Endocrinology, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and the Pituitary Society, and a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science.

His laboratory consistently funded by NIH since 1980, is devoted to molecular pathogenesis and treatment of pituitary tumors, and pituitary hormone signaling. He has led pioneering clinical trials leading to registration of new therapeutic molecules for pituitary disorders and has discovered novel signaling pathways subserving pituitary cell proliferation, hormone secretion and action. He has trained over 80 fellows now serving as endocrine program leaders worldwide. He edits The Pituitary, and co-edits Williams Textbook of Endocrinology; was editor-in-chief of Pituitary and of Endocrinology. He served on NIH Endocrinology Study Sections, is secretary of the Pituitary Society, was President of International Society of Endocrinology and is a director of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine ,and of BioscienceLA. He has shepherded highest nationally ranked academic programs with a sustained impact on the practice of medicine by his clinical leadership and translational endocrinology discoveries.

Solomon Tesfaye is consultant Diabetologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Honorary Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Sheffield. He is Research Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. He is also Visiting Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Adjunct Professor at Xiangya Hospital Central Southern University, China.

His research projects include the epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, central nervous system involvement and treatment of diabetic neuropathy and neuropathic pain. Prof Tesfaye chaired the International Consensus Panel on Diabetic Neuropathy that developed consensus guidelines for diabetic neuropathy diagnosis and management (Tesfaye et al., Diabetes Care 2010, cited >3030 times). He has published a textbook of Diabetic Neuropathy and over 250 original articles and reviews in diabetic neuropathy including landmark studies in the NEJM and the Lancet and has an H-Index of 83 on Google Scholar.

Professor Tesfaye was awarded the Prestigious Camillo Golgi Prize of the European Diabetes Association in 2014 for major scientific contributions in Diabetic Neuropathy. He also received the Arnold Bloom Award of Diabetes UK in 2017 for innovative and patient-centered diabetes care. He has also received several other prizes including the NHS-Hero Award, the Neuropathy Trust Award and the European Diabetes Association NEURODIAB Lifetime Achievement Award in Rome in 2024.

Professor Tesfaye has served as grant review panel member for the JDRF, US NIH, Diabetes UK, UK NIHR, EFSD, UK MRC; and has been a member of 6 NICE guideline committees on neuropathic pain management and neuropathy screening and the DPFS panel of the UK MRC. Finally, he has received many research grants totaling over £21 million as PI and co-applicant.

Dr Yasir Elhassan, MBBS, MRCP (UK), PhD has recently joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as a Consultant Endocrinologist. Previously Dr. Elhassan held the position of Consultant Endocrinologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK and Honorary Associate Professor at the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham. Dr Elhassan's clinical and research expertise is in adrenal and gonadal disorders and he has published extensively in those areas including outputs that have informed clinical practice. He is also the first author of the UK Society for Endocrinology guideline on the evaluation of androgen excess in women. Dr. Elhassan held several national roles in the UK Society for Endocrinology including Lead of the Adrenal Network, Elected Member of the Clinical Committee, Member of the Programme Committee, in addition to selected membership in specialist groups that advised the Society in matters related to adrenal and gonadal disorders. Dr. Elhassan is a regularly invited speaker in major international conferences such as the British Endocrine Society (BES) Conference and the US Endocrine Society (ENDO) Conference. He has received several early career research-based awards from the UK Society for Endocrinology and the US Endocrine Society.

Professor Yousef AL Saleh graduated in 1991 from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He completed the Membership of The Royal College of Physicians (London), MRCP (U.K.) in 1994 and the Arab Board of Medicine in 1996. Subsequently he did Fellowship Training in Endocrinology and Diabetes at The University of California, San Diego in 1997/1998.

He is currently Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology and Medical Director of Health Oasis Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He is the past chair of Endocrinology and Diabetes at King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs and King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He chaired the Saudi Board of Medicine and Medical Subspecialties at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties between 2011 and 2017.

Professor AL Saleh is currently board member of the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the Saudi Osteoporosis Society. He served several terms as Secretary General and Vice President of the Saudi Osteoporosis Society. He is a past president of the Gulf Association of Endocrinology and Diabetes 2019/2020. He was the chair of the task force which established the Saudi Diabetes Fellowship Training Program in 2015.

He has more than 110 publications in peer reviewed journals in the field of diabetes and endocrinology particularly on aspects of Osteoporosis and Vitamin D.

Zeina Younes is a clinical dietitian and research professional with over a decade of experience in diabetes care and medical nutrition therapy. As a Clinical Diabetes Dietitian Specialist at the Dubai Diabetes Center since 2014, she has empowered individuals with diabetes through evidence-based nutritional strategies, cutting-edge technology integration, and compassionate patient education.

Zeina's work is also deeply rooted in research. She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications focusing on diabetes distress, glycemic control, and self-management education across both pediatric and adult populations. Her academic foundation—holding dual Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Nutrition & Dietetics, and a Master of Science in Nutrition—was further strengthened by her early research experience at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, particularly in reproductive health and endocrinology.

Driven by a mission to improve patient outcomes through research-informed practice, Zeina continuously contributes to clinical research studies and remains actively engaged in scientific discourse. She is also an advocate for multidisciplinary care and innovative diabetes education models, using tools like Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) and insulin pump therapy to bridge the gap between clinical advancements and daily patient management.

With a steadfast commitment to advancing diabetes care, Zeina continues to bridge research and clinical practice—striving to shape a future where every individual living with diabetes is empowered with the tools, knowledge, and support to thrive.

Zobair M Younossi MD MPH is the Chairman of the Global NASH/MASH Council, Washington DC and Professor and Chairman of Beatty Liver and Obesity Research, Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia. Professor Younossi earned his medical degree from University of Rochester (AOA 1989) with fellowship training in at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (1989-1995), while earning his Master of Public Health with multiple honours from San Diego State University (1995). He then worked at Cleveland Clinic Foundation before establishing the Beatty Liver and Obesity Research program and Inova Liver Center, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA. He has served as the Chairman of Department of Medicine, Inova Fairfax (2011-2024), President of Inova Medicine (2019-2024), Chairman of Research for Inova (2005-2022) and Vice Chairman of the Board of Inova Foundation (2011-2024). He currently serves as the President of Chronic Liver Disease Foundation (2018-Present). Prof. Younossi has pioneered research in MASLD/NAFLD and outcomes research in Liver Disease and has authored over 857 articles, 1117 abstracts and 543 faculty lectures in national and international meetings. He has an H-index of 123 and is listed as the most cited scholars in Liver Disease and NAFLD according to Scholar GPS-2022 and Scholar GPS-2024. Prof. Younossi has served on the editorial board of several journals, including Co-Editor of Liver International and Associate Editor of J Hepatology.